<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Sun &amp; Moon by grossnoona</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23612767">Sun &amp; Moon</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/grossnoona/pseuds/grossnoona'>grossnoona</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drabble, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Self-Esteem Issues, To An Extent, Vague Timeframe, dw its all good in the end (as usual)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:20:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,130</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23612767</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/grossnoona/pseuds/grossnoona</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>How do I make you like you as much as I do?</i>
</p>
<p>Mao doesn’t really think he’s all that great. There are tons of others who are <i>far better</i> than Mao could ever be.</p>
<p>Yet, whenever he rambles about that, Ritsu gives him this distant and uncertain look that Mao could never read. </p>
<p>He wonders why.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Isara Mao/Sakuma Ritsu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sun &amp; Moon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hallo grossnoona here and im just so depressed<br/>no this drabble isnt new its actually very old lmao<br/>its been in my docs since last year god knows when but point is its supposed to be for an au that i never finished (i dont have any means to finish it honestly so im just repurposing all these parts and turning them into normal fics (but like all separately)<br/>so expect(?) more of these oddly similar energy fics lmao??<br/>anyway mao goes through some stuff and i thought abt that flashlight thing from thee anime so here we are</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ritsu leaned quietly against Mao. It seemed something was on the other’s mind.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ma-kun, do you know the kanji used in my name?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mao looks at Ritsu strangely for a minute before finally nodding firmly. Why would Ritsu need to ask if Mao knew how to write Ritsu’s name? It was obvious Mao would commit such a pretty name in memory. Did Ritsu worry Mao would forget how to write Ritsu’s name?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even when Mao thinks about it seriously, the question was strange. It felt out of place from their conversation earlier, Mao wondered what led Ritsu to ask such a strange question.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Could you tell me how to write it, then?” Ritsu asks, taking Mao’s index finger and pointing it towards his palm.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mao quirks an eyebrow at Ritsu. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Okay...?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ri</span>
  </em>
  <span> as in </span>
  <em>
    <span>Rin</span>
  </em>
  <span>, the kanji for cold,” Mao says as he draws out the strokes for the first kanji. Mao wonders if he’s even writing the kanji out properly. It’s a little hard to do it on someone’s palm, especially on Ritsu’s palm which is smaller than Mao’s.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Tsu</span>
  </em>
  <span> as in </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tsuki</span>
  </em>
  <span>, the moon,” Mao continues, he carefully draws out the kanji. He watches Ritsu stare at his palm as if he could see Mao’s writing on it. Was there a reason Ritsu wanted Mao to do that? Mao can’t help but wonder.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ritsu stays quiet for a moment. He burrows himself deeper into Mao’s arms, murmuring out Mao’s explanation. It makes Mao laugh, Ritsu acts like it’s his first time hearing this kind of explanation. Ritsu acts like Mao was the one who gave Ritsu his name when that’s not true, obviously. Such a strange person, Mao warmly thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Moon,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Ritsu murmurs to himself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mao laughs warmly as he readjusted himself so he can hug Ritsu better. Just what on earth led Ritsu to think about how his name is spelled? Did he forget it or something? Mao wonders if Ritsu could forget such a thing. It’d be weird to forget how to spell his name all of a sudden, though it wouldn’t be out of Ritsu’s nature to </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> forget.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ma-kun, do you know how the moon shines at night?” Ritsu asks, hugging Mao tightly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mao ponders for a minute. Why is Ritsu asking this kind of question? Does this have to do with his name? Well, the kanji for </span>
  <em>
    <span>moon</span>
  </em>
  <span> is in Ritsu’s name but is that really it? Mao scratches his head as he tries to decipher these odd signals Ritsu is throwing his way. Maybe Ritsu will tell him when Mao answers this question.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>How does the moon shine at night?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>The moon shines because its surface reflects light from the sun, if I recall correctly</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Why are you asking me this?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mao watches Ritsu hums in understanding. Ritsu calls Mao a genius. Even though the fact that Mao had just told him was something that was considered common knowledge. It’s nothing special, really. Ritsu probably doesn’t listen during his science classes, that’s all.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>
    <em>I’m the same, then.</em>
  </b>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mao hums in confusion.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Without Ma-kun, I won’t be able to shine at all.” Ritsu states it so matter-of-factly, Mao quirks an eyebrow.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ritsu looks at Mao and reaches out for his face, he repeats the sentence once more. Without Mao, Ritsu will be enveloped in all that darkness. Ritsu would have remained far from all those people Mao brought Ritsu to befriend. Ritsu would have remained watching everyone from a far distance. Without Mao, Ritsu would have </span>
  <em>
    <span>nobody to hold onto</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ma-kun, you said you feel like a flashlight that probably mistook himself as a star, right?” Ritsu asks as he cups Mao’s face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mao nods in confusion. Isn’t he right, though? Even in comparison to Ritsu, he’s severely underskilled in performance. Mao doesn’t seem to quite get what Ritsu is trying to tell Mao. He laughs sheepishly before asking Ritsu to clarify what he means.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ritsu pouts, he pinches Mao’s cheek before calling Mao stupid.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you get it? Ma-kun keeps lying to himself!” Ritsu cries as he pinches harder. Mao winces in pain as Ritsu angrily complains how stupid Mao can be when it comes to himself, always comparing himself to others despite that there are so many other things that make Mao valuable. Mao never listens to what people think about him, he always focuses on the negative comments rather than the many positive comments that everyone always says about him. Why is that? Why does Mao hate himself?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ritchan,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Mao whispers as he wipes Ritsu’s tears.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Seeing those tears, it makes Mao’s heart twist uncomfortably. Ritsu cries about how worried he feels whenever Mao says those kinds of words, he doesn’t want Mao to look at himself that way. Ritsu wants Mao to see himself the same way as Ritsu, he wants Mao to love himself as much as Ritsu loves him. Is it selfish of Ritsu to ask for such a favour?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“To Ritchan, Ma-kun is the sun―Without Ma-kun,</span>
  <em>
    <span> I don’t think I’d be here at all.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mao’s eyes widen when Ritsu cries that out. The way he roughly wipes his tears so much that it could almost scratch his soft skin, Mao feels guilty. He didn't realise that all these hurtful thoughts could hurt Ritsu too. He whispers apologies as he presses his forehead against Ritsu’s. He should’ve known that Mao wasn’t the only one who would be affected, Mao never meant it to hurt people.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ritsu probably isn’t the only person that probably wants to cry at Mao for feeling this way. Trickstar probably feels the same. Though he isn’t so sure about his seniors, some probably feel their efforts had gone to waste if Mao said that he feels incompetent to his friends. Maybe Mao should have listened to what people felt about him instead of listening to his own negative thoughts.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ah.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ritsu fell asleep, Mao noticed that after a couple of minutes of silence. Ritsu’s grip is tight, he presses his face deeply into Mao’s chest. Cute, Mao thought as he pushed Ritsu’s fringe aside. Ritsu’s peaceful sleeping face was cute but he couldn’t quite say that with how clear Ritsu’s tear tracks looked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>To Ritsu, Mao is the sun. With Mao, Ritsu can shine brightly alongside others. With Mao, Ritsu can dance at night with all of his friends. With Mao, Ritsu lights up the entire world with that marveling beauty Mao loves.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Sun, that’s what Ritsu wants Mao to refer to himself. A star that is orbited around by other planets, Mao wonders if Ritsu means that part too. Maybe he should ask Ritsu that when he wakes up from his sleep later.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For now, Mao can warmly hug Ritsu and dream about Ritsu dancing in the moonlight with him.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i just really love maoritsu i think theyre great<br/>sun &amp; moon trope good<br/>everything is good<br/>I'm going to fix the other one and hopefully I can??? upload it?? idk we'll see abt that<br/>thank you for reading!!<br/>(if you want to talk to me, I'm on twt <a href="https://twitter.com/drunkossan">@drunkossan</a>)</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>